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Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954 The U.S. Supreme Court decided in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case that it was unconstitutional for educational institutions to segregate children by race. This landmark legal ruling would have far-reaching implications for special education arena. The Civil Rights Movement and the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision which extended equal protection under the law to minorities, paved the way for similar gains for those with disabilities.
(https://youtu.be/aX9Dmo24_cc) -
National Plan To Combat Mental Retardation
Kennedy made a speech to the Congress of the United States in 1963, where he announced the findings and asked for support for new resources to address the needs of people with mental retardation and mental illness. The Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Act, which granted $265 million in federal aid over five years. -
Kennedy's Bill Becomes Law
The Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Act, which granted $265 million in federal aid over five years to support programs for the mentally retarded, and the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Construction Act, which granted $330 million over five years for new buildings to serve disabled citizens were signed into law this day by John F. Kennedy. -
Library Services And Construction Act
The amendment to the already existing Library Services and Construction Act authorized assistance for students with physical or mental disabilities who were in residential schools operated or substantially supported by the state. The Act made federal funds available to state agencies for library services for individuals who were certified by a responsible authority as unable to read or to use conventional printed materials as a result of physical limitations. -
Elementary And Secondary Education Amendments
This law amended Title VI of P.L. 89-10 and established the first federal grant program for the education of children and youth with disabilities at the local school level, rather than at state-operated schools or institutions. It established the Bureau of Education of the Handicapped (BEH) and the National Advisory Council (now called the National Council on Disability). -
PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania sided in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state-run institutions. PARC v. Penn called for students with disabilities to be placed in publicly funded school settings that met their individual educational needs, based on proper and thorough evaluation. -
Mills v. Board of Education
In the Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia students classified as exceptional including those with mental and learning disabilities and behavioral issues. This ruling made it unlawful for the D.C. Board of Education to deny these individuals access to publicly funded educational opportunities. -
Congressional Investigation
In the wave of the PARC and Mills ruling, Congress set out to uncover how many children with special education needs were being underserved. The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped found that there were 8 million children requiring special education services. Of this total, 3.9 million students adequately had their educational needs met, 2.5 million were receiving a substandard education and 1.75 million weren’t in school. -
The Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)
The Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) states that any recipient of federal financial assistance, including state and local educational agencies, must end discrimination in the offering of its services to persons with disabilities. Most educators and family members were unaware that this law applied to public schools when it was enacted. Section 504 guaranteed civil rights to all disabled people and required accommodations for disabled students in schools. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, better known at the time as Public Law 94-142. It required public schools to provide students with a broad range of disabilities, including physical handicaps, mental retardation, speech, vision and language problems, emotional and behavioral problems, and other learning disorders, with a "free appropriate public education." -
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. In this law, disability is defined as, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Rules and regulations for students with disabilities start to become more commonplace in school districts. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
EHA underwent a number of substantial revisions and became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA emphasized the use of individual education plans, or IEPs, for all special education students. Also initiated the use of individualized transition plans to best prepare students for success in their adult lives. IDEA brought about a widespread focus on providing the best-researched, most effective methods for special education teaching. -
No Child Left Behind Act
No child left behind required that all school children participate in state and district testing. This affected schools across the nation. Now teachers would have to prepare students for standardized tests. All students, including students with disabilities, are to be proficient in math and reading. The results of these tests affect school funding and evaluate teachers. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (reauthorized)
Students must be provided Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living. Special education and related services should be designed to meet the learning needs of eligible children with disabilities, preschool through age 21. Adequate instruction and intervention for students are required to help students stay out of special education, if possible.
(https://sites.ed.gov/idea/) -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The law replaced its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act, and modified but did not eliminate provisions relating to the periodic standardized tests given to students. The main purpose of ESSA is to make sure public schools provide a quality education for all kids. ESSA gives states more of a say in how schools account for student achievement. This includes the achievement of disadvantaged students.
(https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/every-student-succeeds-act/index.html)
